Stage Whisper
Whisper in the Wings Episode 563
(upbeat music) - Hello everyone and welcome back into a fabulous new Whisper in the Wings from Stage Whisper. We are joined by another amazing artist that is joined us as part of the She, NYC She LA Arts Summer Theatre Festival. This is an amazing event happening on both coasts and this time we are going to the West Coast for our event. And today we are speaking with composer, lyricist and book writer Danielle Moore. Her new work, Ink and Paint, is part of the She LA Arts Summer Theatre Festival and is having performances on July 17th and July 20th at the Zephyr Theatre in West Hollywood, California. You can get your tickets and more information by visiting shemycarts.org. We're excited to learn what's happening on the other end of the continent and the perfect person to fill us in on that, of course, is our guest. So let us welcome them on. Danielle, welcome to Whisper in the Wings from Stage Whisper. - Hello, thank you so much for having me. Happy to be here. - I'm thrilled you're here. I'm thrilled you have this new work. I wanna know everything and anything I can. So let's just jump right into it. Can you start by telling us about what Ink and Paint is about? - Yeah, so I've been describing Ink and Paint as a sort of madcap musical mashup of mid-century American history. The history of hand draw on animation at the Walt Disney Studios and the wild, wise-cacking women who fought to tooth and tooth nail and paint brush for their place. And it's really sort of a unconventional historical take and just sort of using those characters and the real-life stories that inspired the piece as a way of looking at how the place of women and animation has evolved since the '40s and '50s in which the show is set. There were several really historic events that happened during the term that we're looking at, obviously World War II, as well as the historic Disney animators strike. So we sort of look at those events through the lens of these women and what they experienced, what they went through, their triumphs, their friendships, their failures, all of that. And we try to have a lot of them while doing it. - That is fabulous. So let me ask with this great story you're telling, what inspired you to tell it? What inspired you to create this work? - Yeah, so I've been a Disney animation fan since I was a little kid. I was always the person who was much more excited to watch the little making of feature at the end of the VHS and then the actual movie itself. And that was sort of my first entree to learning about sort of the women of Disney's story department and their concept artists like Mary Blair, who's featured in the show and whose work really heavily influenced the look and style of Disney's hand drawn animation in the 40s and 50s, films like Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Peter Pan. So that was my first entree. And I learned about the ink and paint girls who were some of the first women hired into Disney's animation studios. And we literally hand drew and painted and inked the individual cells of cellulade for the animation. And then of course sort of the next generation of women who started to make inroads in the story department and they all had such interesting backgrounds. Once I learned too that they were, Mary Blair was of course kind of a fine artist by training, but there was also Grace Huntington who wanted to be a pilot, but somehow ended up being a story artist instead and wanted to be a pilot the whole time. But she was at Disney and applied to many places, broke altitude records, but no one would hire her because she was a woman even after the outbreak of World War II meant that there was a lot more demand for her pilots and as well as Sylvia Moberly Holland who was sort of the first credited woman director at Disney. We featured her in the story as well. She directed a segment in a Fantasia and her background was as an architect before she came to Disney. So it just sort of was born out of a curiosity to dive more into who these women actually were and what motivated them to do something that was so difficult and inconvenient at the time that wasn't necessarily what they were trained to do and to work in an environment, frankly even as they ascended in it was still pretty openly hostile to women and they went through a lot there. So yeah, that's where it came from for me. - Wow, wow, that is incredible. Now let me ask you, you know, what has it been like developing this piece as we head into Chile Arts Summer Theater series? - It has been so wonderful. There have been so many people who have contributed to the development that I have to name drop up on to people. The Bailey Nissetta was the director of the original version of the piece, which was just a short, it was not a musical, it was like a 10 minute sort of madcap summary of this history that we're talking about and she brought so much to it in terms of the movement language in terms of bringing in humor and clowning and just all of these things that aren't in my theatrical background. So we learned a lot about how the piece moves which is super important for a show about animation. So that was huge. And then for the LA iteration, our director is Stacy Weingarten who is also a book writer and a puppeteer and has an amazing background in children's media. So couldn't have been luckier with the directors who have touched this piece and helped to guide its path thus far. You know, Stacy has really, also has a really amazing dramaturgical brain and has been bringing in so much nuance to the book and opening up new questions to sort of help me understand as the writer, like what the message I'm hoping people will walk away with is for this iteration which of course I'm sure will continue to evolve as we go. We also have some amazing dramaturge, dramaturge on the piece "Circe of CLA", super grateful that they're offering that through the program. I was like shocked and delighted when I was told like you're getting a dramaturg for CLA. I was like, what, dramaturge first of year? Like the absolute highest, like luxury to have as an independent theater maker. So I'm a builder back in Ali Veritecker helping for the dramaturgy for this part of a run and they've also been incredible to work with. So I guess I would describe it as just, the development has been a joy and had a lot of like big sleep over energy because it's been a lot of women sitting around being like, oh, I got that Disney reference. Like what is your favorite Disney this and Disney that? And it's been wonderful. - I love that. What a great way to sum it up. A big sleep over energy that is wonderful. Now you've kind of touched on this when you've brought up in your dramaturge but I'm curious to know what is the message or thought you're hoping the audiences take away from your show. - I feel like it's really goes to say that like we're still working on it right now but we're still working on it right now. Like literally that was a note that came up over the weekend. I was kind of working on like what the running draft of the script will be for CLA. We just started rehearsals last week. And of course, when you're in a festival setting, like you're not always going to be able to do the full two and a half hour musical extravaganza you may have planned. So for this version, we were really trying to hone in on, you know, what do I want audiences to literally walk in the first five minute walk out of the theater with. And I think what we've gotten it down to for the consideration is, you know, I wanted to focus on what these women were able to accomplish as opposed to like the limitations that were placed on them, you know, in terms of like they couldn't animate or women just weren't allowed in this division or if they were, they were constantly getting harassed or bullied by their male counterparts or not paid enough or just, you know, any other number of things. I wanted to focus on their agency and celebrate what they were able to accomplish under not only those conditions but also like the larger global social economic, political conditions of World War II of, you know, just everything that was going on in the world at the time. And because of that and just wanting to explore who they were as people and celebrate their wins and their accomplishments, I'm hoping that people walk away from the show appreciating the progress that they meet and also understanding what the next wave of progress to make for women in the workplace, particularly in the entertainment industries could be. And I don't want to spoil anything, but it really has to do with us being comfortable with women in power and us, you know, supporting women socially and relationally in addition to organizationally in these roles and in developing them as professionals. So that's all I'll say for now, but to be determined, it's continuing to evolve. You know how it is, shows the development. - Absolutely, you're still playing in the sandbox and that's wonderful to hear but the message you're crafting already gets me so excited because more shows and ideas like this need to continue to be in the forefront. That's a very important message. And it leads to my final question for this first part, which is who are you hoping have access to ink and paint? - I was so, so thrilled when, you know, we submitted this show to the She-Arts festivals. As you know, there are multiple locations, New York and Atlanta, LA and now Dallas Worth Worth just this year. So they're going worldwide, baby. Like they're gonna be everywhere before you know it. It's super exciting to be a part of that. But I really feel strongly that this needed to play for LA audiences. And I'm so glad that the She-L-A team agreed. This is my first experience personally, presenting a story that is very site specific in that actual geographic region and to have the opportunity for folks who like may know people who currently work at Disney may have had relatively soon worked at Disney who have an actual history because of their relationship to LA is enormous to me. So I'm really hoping that folks who have a personal tie to this story potentially come out, whether it's, you know, through family or friends or themselves, it's a company that has such a huge global impact today, even more so than it did at the time that we're writing about. But, you know, it obviously has such deep roots in LA. So this is really for LA audiences and I want their feedback. I also hope that like young women potentially, really small young women who think that animation is cool and are interested in exploring it as a career as I was when I was little and just like glued to the featurettes, get to see this. I think one of the other things that I'm hoping people will take away from it is that like Disney has created a lot of really badass heroines, even as their employment practices haven't always been gender equal, but there are so many women with it in the company's history that deserve to be looked at as heroines as well. So yeah, I'm hoping LA folks, young folks, just anybody interested in the history of animation too, I think we'll appreciate it. So yeah, that's kind of the audience. (upbeat music) - Well, for the second part of our interview, we've loved giving our listeners a chance to get to our guests a little bit better. Pick your brains, if you will. And I want to start with our regular first question, which is what or who inspires you? What playwrights, composers or shows have inspired you in the past or are just some of your favorites? - Okay, I love and hate this question because I always feel like I can in my own time, like I could just be sitting here making you a list of my personal favorites, but then of course when I'm asked, I will forget. But there are like a couple of big ones that always come up for me. The first one is Janine Tesori, whose composer of musicals, like Thoroughly Modern Millie, and as well as many, many others. I think the range that she's achieved in her career as a musical theater writer is part of what drew me to musical theater because like, who else has something like Shrek in their portfolio, but then also writes legit opera. I can't really think of anyone who has that range. So love Janine Tesori. Fun fact about me, my keyboard is actually named after Janine Tesori. So if I meet her, that's gonna be fun to explain ever. My other personal favorites. I do write a lot of stuff that is sort of mid-century said historical. My last piece was a musical about Audrey Hepburn that went up in DC last summer and off Broadway the summer before that. So I definitely live in like a jazz idiom place with a lot of my songwriting and another huge musical influence. Always has been candor and ebb. I feel like nobody does show biz, but also social commentary in music that goes down so well and so palatably for being really incisive and thought provoking. So those are a few personal favorites. - I love that though. That is a wonderful list. I will join you in the Janine Tesori party. She is absolutely probably my favorite Broadway composer. Well, let me ask you now, what is your favorite part about working in the theater? - I think it's so funny because I'm a solo writer. So it's like the collaborative process once I get into development and production and I have other team members in the room. It's just like, oh, thank God, I'm not alone anymore. Like it's such a joyful release in terms of the experience. So that tends to be the element that I enjoy the most is just finally getting in the room with people and getting to play in a way that I think you can not their mediums for sure but theater is just so intense because you have to do it every night that you have a show and it can be different every time. So like you were saying earlier that playing in this sandbox just continues. And yeah, that's probably my favorite element. - I love that answer, absolutely. Well, that is a fabulous lead into my favorite question asked guest which is what is your favorite theater memory? - Okay, so this is probably a tie. The first one would be when I went to see a show that Nathan Lane was starring in that was based on Titus and Veronica's and Taylor backroaded. It was insane. And there was a lot of blood and we weren't warned that there would be blood. And we got front row, rush tickets, my friend, Mikey and I and we were sitting front row and were spewed upon immediately. And then Nathan Lane dropped a prop so it was like a preview and it landed right in my friend's lap and he took it and handed it back to Nathan Lane. And before continuing with the show, Nathan Lane was like, hi, nice to meet you, I'm Nathan Lane. Like shook his hand 'cause we were the front row and he could tell this was gonna be like the moment that made both of our theater going live. So that was probably the one that sticks out immediately because what experience is more visceral than that, right? Like you just got bled on and now you're shaking Nathan Lane's hand and it was just incredible. The other one that really sticks out is when I saw Emma Stone in Cabaret, which is crazy to say. Now Cabaret is back in a whole different incarnation, the Kit Kat Club, but it was Studio 54 and she came out and actually stage-dored and that is such a huge thing for a movie star at the time she was already to do. And I was like in college and I just like didn't know what to say to her 'cause I loved her so much and I just told her I noticed that she was actually wearing green Sally Bowles nail polish. That was like my big take and I was like love the nails. I got my one shot to tell Emma Stone how great and brilliant I thought she was and I told her I love the nail and she was like what? Oh, thanks. - Yes, yes, both of those. Oh my gosh, those are amazing. - Which is not to say that like, you know, my favorite theater members are solely predicated on their being some sort of massive star involved, but it does tend to stick out, you know, when somebody you admire, like when else can you ever get that close to your, you know, favorite, favorite stars performing incredible stuff? That's better. - Absolutely. Wow, those are amazing. Thank you so much for sharing those. Well, as we wrap things up, I would love to know, do you have any other projects or productions coming on the pipeline that we might be able to plug for you? - Yeah, so this is a little bit of a busy summer in a couple of different ways. I'd mentioned earlier that a piece that went up last year in DC that I wrote called Audrey that have been last summer and we're sort of like continuing to develop it and it's gonna make its debut in Philly in a showcase on June 24th as part of a concert of new musicals in Philly. I'm from Pennsylvania and from the Philly area originally, so very excited to link up with that group. It's run by a musical lab, which is founded by and run by Charlie Gilbert who wrote the book for Assassins. So a whole new theater community that I'm tapping into there and very excited to be a part of and support. And I also just finished a stint with the music master's collective, which is this amazing workshop upstate where I was writing for like basically a full weekend. It was more of a songwriting focus workshop, but it was super fun and I always encourage other artists who are in the theater space to like remember to do versions of things that are not theater, right? Just to strengthen the skills and have fun. So those are a couple of the other things that I've been up to this summer. And later in the summer, I'm going to be heading to DC for the Alliance for New Music Theaters slash Nautilus Music Theaters composer LaPretist workshop. So very excited to be part of that community as well. But most of all, yeah, just very excited for Ingenpaint. It's my first time working in theater in LA and excited to share this piece with that audience. - That is amazing. Wow, so lots of irons in the fire, which is exciting. And that leads to my final question, which is if our listeners would like more information about Ingenpaint or about you, maybe they'd like to reach out to you. How can they do so? - Yeah, so the easiest way to sort of keep up with Ingenpaint, you can follow Chiale and all of their pages across social media, go to their website. They'll have the latest on the festival iteration, but then you can also visit Green Light Group Productions, which is a theater incubator that I basically run that is co-producing this iteration. And that will have all of the latest news and updates on Ingenpaint for the future. That's just www.greenlightgroupproductions.com. - Well, didn't ya? Thank you so, so much for taking the time to speak with me today, for sharing this amazing new work. I can't wait for it to premiere over at the LA portion of the She NYC, She LA Arts Center Theater Festival, but I'm even more excited for when it comes out here. I know it's gonna make its trip across the country out to our way, so this is so exciting, as well as all of those amazing projects you listed. So thank you very, very much for your time today. - Thank you so much for having me, Andrew. Always great to meet another Janine to stories, but Stan, we're going to manifest it. She's gonna be on this podcast, and we're gonna refer back to this episode. It's gonna happen. - Absolutely, absolutely. From your lips to God's ears, we're doing this. My guest today has been the amazing composer, lyricist, and book writer, Daniel Moore, whose new work, Ink and Paint, is part of the She LA Arts Center Theater Festival. The show is performing July 17th and the 20th at the Zephyr Theater in West Hollywood, California, and you can get your tickets and more information by visiting shenycarts.org. We also have some contact information for our guests, which we'll be posting in our episode description, as well as on our social media posts, but right now you need to head on over to shenycarts.org and get your tickets, not only for the New York Summer Theater Festival, but definitely for the LA Summer Theater Festival, and in particular for this great work, Ink and Paint, playing July 17th and 20th. So until next time, I'm Andrew Cortez, reminding you to turn off your cell phones, unwrap your candies, and keep talking about the theater. - In a stage whisper. - Thank you. (upbeat music) (upbeat music) - If you like what you hear, please leave a five-star review, like and subscribe. - You can also find us on Facebook and Instagram at StageWhisperPod. - And feel free to reach out to us with your comments and personal stories at stagewhisperPod@gmail.com. - And be sure to check out our website for all things StageWhisper and theater. 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